There are many professing evangelical Christians who want to claim “the faith” but don’t want to believe in a normal interpretation of a literal six-day creation account as plainly presented in Genesis 1 (cf. Gen. 1:14; Ex. 20:11). Only God knows whether such people have a true saving faith, but any position that undermines the truth of Scripture is a profoundly serious matter. We give space for ignorance and immaturity but a studied position that defies or distorts the plain teaching of Scripture represents a questionable faith.

The issue at stake is a FAITH issue and a LORDSHIP issue which are tied together. Faith is ultimately a Lordship issue and Lordship is an AUTHORITY issue (cf. Jn. 20:28-31). We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone! But it must be the right kind of faith! We must believe on the LORD Jesus Christ in order to be saved (cf. Acts 16:31). Recognition of Christ’s Lordship bows before the truth of His PERSON and His WORD (cf. Ps. 33:6-9; Isa. 66:2; Jn. 8:47; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Thess. 2:10; 1 Jn. 2:5).

Jesus made reception of His Word the test saying, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” (Jn. 12:48) True believers take the Word of Christ seriously, including what He said about the beginning. Jesus traced the origin of humanity back to the beginning of creation (cf. Mk. 10:6). Repeatedly Jesus affirmed the Genesis creation account in the plain sense it is given without further clarification (cf. Mt. 25:34; Mk. 13:19; Lk. 11:50-51; Jn. 8:44; 17:24). He would know – He was there (John 1:1-3). If a person claims to believe in the gospel of Christ, but they don’t believe what He taught about marriage, is that kind of faith credible (cf. Mt. 19:4)? The question becomes does such a person REALLY believe on Christ as LORD or not? Jesus said, “If you believed Moses, you would believe Me” (Jn. 5:46). If one does not accept the AUTHORITY of God’s Word given through Moses, then do they really believe in Christ’s Word which affirms what Moses said? I would submit to you that such a profession is questionable at best. God KNOWS!

Hebrews 11 is called “The Hall of Faith Chapter”. The writer has just contrasted the just who live by faith, who do not draw back, with those who do draw back to perdition (cf. Heb. 10:38-39). He then goes on in hapter 11 to define the nature of faith (v. 1) and then gives illustrations of what constitutes a true saving faith. After mentioning that it was through faith that “the elders obtained a good testimony” the FIRST thing he says about faith relates to CREATION. In illustrating what constitutes true faith he starts at the beginning!

Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV)

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

This is a matter of FAITH and FAITH is taking God at His Word (cf. Gen. 15:6). Faith starts with the reality of God (cf. Heb. 11:6). And for the writer of Hebrews as presented in Hebrews 11, FAITH begins with the issue of God as CREATOR. It’s as if He takes us back to Genesis 1 and tells us that this is where true FAITH begins. If you can’t believe God at the “BEGINNING” then where do you start to believe Him? If one rejects the inspired Word through Moses, then do they really believe Christ’s Word? Faith is known by its FRUITS. The good fruit of true faith HOLDS to the TRUTH of God’s Word (cf. Jn. 8:31; 2 Jn. 9).

There are many debates about theological issues from the Scriptures themselves, but what makes this issue especially insidious is that it superimposes human ideas from OUTSIDE of Scripture (cf. theistic evolution, day-age theory, etc.) UPON the Scripture and thereby ends up placing human thinking ABOVE Scripture. The issue becomes will we TRULY believe God, or will we put our faith in what man says? Cursed is the person who trusts in man; blessed is the person who trusts in God (cf. Jer. 17:5-8).

Thot: Those who sinfully question God on page 1 of the Bible are in a very questionable position.

Earnestly Contending, Pastor Dwight J. Oswald

Pastor Dwight’s Pastoral Letter – May 2020